Jack Casey (Earth-616)
, | Relatives = | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = New York City. New York | Gender = Male | Height = | Weight = | Eyes = | Hair = Brown | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = | Occupation = Reporter | Education = | Origin = Human | PlaceOfBirth = | Creators = Ray Gill; Sid Greene | First = Human Torch Comics #4 | Death = Captain America: Patriot #2 | HistoryText = Born in 1913 , Jack Casey grew up to be a reporter who worked for the Consolidated News and later the Daily Bugle during the 1940s . He was homosexual, however due to the social stigma of the time, Jack kept his sexuality a secret . He was close friends with fellow reporters Jeff Mace and Mary Morgan. The trio often worked together or competed against one another to get scoops for the newspapers they worked for over the years. On July 4, 1941 Jack was present when Captain America was fighting Nazi spies who were posing as dock workers, a battle that inspired his co-worker Jeff to secretly become the Patriot. Jack often photographed the Patriot, and gained a great deal of notoriety, landing his photographs in Life Magazine . In March of 1941, Jack and his friends covered the sudden appearance of the Yellowshirts a terrorist organization that was bent on using violence to dismantle the American government and replace it with a totalitarian regime. Jack and other reporters were kidnapped and forced to write propaganda on the Yellowshirts behalf. However, unknown to Jack and the others, Jeff Mace had taken on the costumed identity of the Patriot, and defeated the Yellowshirts single handed. Jack used the liberated New York media to organize revolves in other parts of the country that the Yellowshirts had taken over . This began a long standing relationship between Jack and the Patriot, it does not appear that Jack discovered that the hero was really his friend Jeff Mace. The Patriot would often give Jack the scoop on his adventures, such as when he took down the Mad Violinist , forced Nazi prisoner of war Herman von Betz to give an interview after a failed escape attempt , and a filed sabotage attempt at a tank manufacturing plant by Nazi agents . He would be on hand when the Patriot stopped a Nazi who murdered the lead actor in an Anti-Nazi play . When the Patriot contacted Jack about the arrival of supposed Nazi defector Herr Huss, Jack rushed to the heroes rescue when he heard a gunshot over the phone . When it turned out Huss was only seeking to pass along false information to American officials, Jack was saved by the Patriot before Huss and his minions could kill the reporter . Later, Jack, Jeff and Mary were sent to cover the story of Lieutenant Curtis who returned from the Philippines with important information about Imperial Japan and witness the Patriot's battle with Japanese assassin Ginaldo . Likewise, Jack was present during the court trail of murderer Green-Face Reibel . In January of 1942, after the United States entered into World War II, Jack was drafted into the Navy , as a Photographers Mate 1st Class and a farewell party was thrown for him by his friends . His military services is mostly unrecorded, however whenever on leave he would assist Jeff and Mary on their various cases. Jack was present to report on a boat builders strike instigated by Nazi spies , and investigating Dr. Strausser in connection with a series of bizarre murders involving floating corpses . In all cases, Jack would witness the Patriot in action, unaware that the hero was really Jeff Mace. When questioning Jeff's disappearances when there was trouble, Jack usually believed Mary Morgan's belief that Jeff was really a coward who hid during the merest hint of danger. With America's entry into World War II, Jack would continue to be present as the Patriot to involved in the stories they were sent to cover. Incidents such as when Nazi soldiers were using fight speed insects to eliminate American soldiers during war games , and American ships being sunken by a giant Japanese sub shaped like a crab . Jack, Mary and Jeff were often captured by Nazi or Imperial Japanese spies while on assignment, necessitating Jeff to rescue them as the patriot. Such as when they on assignment in Australia and captured by a Japanese scientist who attempted to use an evolution ray to devolve Jack into a lizard, until he was freed by the Patriot . Jack was also rescued when captured by the Great Astro , Headhunters in New Guinea , and Japanese agents en route between Australia and India . Travelling up to Canada to cover the story of escaped Nazi prisoners of war, but is shocked when the Patriot calls him collect from New York City to inform him that he cracked the case . Jack, Jeff and Mary also assisted reformed criminal Thick Lips Scarbo rescue his son from Nazi spies , where captured by Nazi spies hiding out at a butcher ship , as well as investigate the strange suicide of Cecilia Tang , and a wave of juvenile delinquency instigated by Nazi spies . Prior to the end of the war, while on duty in the Navy, Jack's sexuality became known to his superior officers and he was delivered a blue discharge from the military. Like many soldiers after the war, Jack was unable to find work and eventually committed suicide in September 1946. When the news reached his friend Mary Morgan, now acting as the costumed hero Miss Patriot, she went to tell Jeff Mace, who was then operating as the new Captain America. When the government refused to allow Jeff to go as Captain America, due to the Jack's lifestyle and stigmas, Jeff instead paid his respects in his old Patriot uniform. During the funeral on September 23rd the Patriot made a eulogy, which ultimately ruined public opinion of the hero, and Jeff retired the costume for good and resumed his role as Captain America . | Powers = | Abilities = Jack is a professional reporter. | Strength = | Weaknesses = | Equipment = | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = | Trivia = Jack was a closeted gay man. | Marvel = | Wikipedia = | Links = }} Category:WWII Characters Category:Homosexual Characters